Trump Heads to Sunshine State to Campaign for Ron DeSantis

The long-rumored presidential visit to help Ron DeSantis win the Republican nomination for Governor comes next week when President Trump holds a MAGA Rally in Tampa.

A statement released Monday announced President Donald Trump will be in Tampa Tuesday, July 31. The rally starts at 7 PM at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall. Politico Florida first reported last week that the 8/31 Trump visit was likely.

The timing of the visit marks the start of absentee voting for the August 28 primary. Congressman DeSantis faces Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam for the GOP nomination for Governor.

Long considered the frontrunner to be Florida’s next governor, for the first time publicly, Putnam’s campaign acknowledged it was facing an uphill fight. In a fundraising email, Putnam’s team wrote:

“I wish I had better news to share, but unfortunately, I don’t,” the fundraising email said. “The most recent poll has Adam down, and with the primary in less than six weeks, we don’t have any time to waste.”

Fundraising hasn’t been an issue with Putnam. Combined with his campaign and political committee, his campaign has raised nearly $35 million. DeSantis, in contrast, has raised over $13 million between his campaign and political committee with nearly $6.8 million cash on hand.